Catriona

Page 75

This was

counted a most insidious device; and that the name of James More

should be mingled up with it filled me with shame for Catriona and

concern for myself.

The following day, Prestongrange and I, with a considerable

company, set out for Glasgow, where (to my impatience) we continued

to linger some time in a mixture of pleasure and affairs. I lodged

with my lord, with whom I was encouraged to familiarity; had my

place at entertainments; was presented to the chief guests; and

altogether made more of than I thought accorded either with my

parts or station; so that, on strangers being present, I would

often blush for Prestongrange. It must be owned the view I had

taken of the world in these last months was fit to cast a gloom

upon my character. I had met many men, some of them leaders in

Israel whether by their birth or talents; and who among them all

had shown clean hands? As for the Browns and Millers, I had seen

their self-seeking, I could never again respect them.

Prestongrange was the best yet; he had saved me, spared me rather,

when others had it in their minds to murder me outright; but the

blood of James lay at his door; and I thought his present

dissimulation with myself a thing below pardon. That he should

affect to find pleasure in my discourse almost surprised me out of

my patience. I would sit and watch him with a kind of a slow fire

of anger in my bowels. "Ah, friend, friend," I would think to

myself, "if you were but through with this affair of the memorial,

would you not kick me in the streets?" Here I did him, as events

have proved, the most grave injustice; and I think he was at once

far more sincere, and a far more artful performer, than I supposed.

But I had some warrant for my incredulity in the behaviour of that

court of young advocates that hung about in the hope of patronage.

The sudden favour of a lad not previously heard of troubled them at

first out of measure; but two days were not gone by before I found

myself surrounded with flattery and attention. I was the same

young man, and neither better nor bonnier, that they had rejected a

month before; and now there was no civility too fine for me! The

same, do I say? It was not so; and the by-name by which I went

behind my back confirmed it. Seeing me so firm with the Advocate,

and persuaded that I was to fly high and far, they had taken a word

from the golfing green, and called me THE TEE'D BALL. {14} I was

told I was now "one of themselves"; I was to taste of their soft

lining, who had already made my own experience of the roughness of

the outer husk; and one, to whom I had been presented in Hope Park,

was so aspired as even to remind me of that meeting. I told him I

had not the pleasure of remembering it.

"Why" says he, "it was Miss Grant herself presented me! My name is

so-and-so."

"It may very well be, sir," said I; "but I have kept no mind of

it."

At which he desisted; and in the midst of the disgust that commonly

overflowed my spirits I had a glisk of pleasure.

But I have not patience to dwell upon that time at length. When I

was in company with these young politics I was borne down with

shame for myself and my own plain ways, and scorn for them and

their duplicity. Of the two evils, I thought Prestongrange to be

the least; and while I was always as stiff as buckram to the young

bloods, I made rather a dissimulation of my hard feelings towards

the Advocate, and was (in old Mr. Campbell's word) "soople to the

laird." Himself commented on the difference, and bid me be more of

my age, and make friends with my young comrades.

I told him I was slow of making friends.

"I will take the word back," said he. "But there is such a thing

as FAIR GUDE S'EN AND FAIR GUDE DAY, Mr. David. These are the same

young men with whom you are to pass your days and get through life:

your backwardness has a look of arrogance; and unless you can

assume a little more lightness of manner, I fear you will meet

difficulties in the path."

"It will be an ill job to make a silk purse of a sow's ear," said

I.

Robert Louis Stevenson
Classic Literature Library

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